BOTM, 3/06: Baker's

This month's selection doesn't seem to garner the same amount of discussion on the boards as does its more popular siblings, but don't take that as a sign of inferiority. Named for one of history's great distillers, Baker's is a proud and unique member of Beam's Small Batch Collection and proof that great bourbon can made by a mega distillery.

Not Convinced

I have a few mini bottles of Baker's so I will not have to buy the 750 bottle to find out what I already have experienced. I have tasted Baker's and of all the small batch collection I put Booker's ( of course ) and Knob Creek ahead of it. I do however enjoy it more than Basil Hayden and will be happy to retry the BOTM.

I never did open my bottle of Fall '05 Stagg. Looking for an occaision and so far nothing has risen to that lofty position.

I have a few mini bottles of Baker's so I will not have to buy the 750 bottle to find out what I already have experienced. I have tasted Baker's and of all the small batch collection I put Booker's ( of course ) and Knob Creek ahead of it. I do however enjoy it more than Basil Hayden and will be happy to retry the BOTM.

I never did open my bottle of Fall '05 Stagg. Looking for an occaision and so far nothing has risen to that lofty position.

If....

It was easy to come by out here. But it is rare, very rare. BT is doing what they can to market SoCal, but it is taking time. Can get ample Blanton's, Rock Hill and ETL but you better be on your toes when Stagg appears.

Marc, if you need help finding more just ask. I know of many places where GTS can be had. It's actually quite abundant from what I have found, now WLW, ER17 and Saz18 are actually more rare - in that order I have found, with WLW being almost impossbile to find. I even located a stash of Spring '05 GTS still on a shelf. But I digress, I have wanted to try Baker's so this is the perfect push to get me there. I even found a locale with an exceptional price (34) on it, I'll pick up a bottle this week and give it a try by the weekend... Good choice Jeff... I think...

C

"everybody defamates from miles away
but face to face
they haven't got a thing to say"

Baker's is an excellent choice for BOTM. This may be my favorite bourbon- love that smooth, peppery taste. I agree with the poster above who said that it's the best of the Beam small batch, all of which I really enjoy.

Just opened one of the early Batch B-85-001 bottles -- oddly, that's the one for which I had a duplicate. A scare upon opening -- the cork cracked, but I managed to reverse the direction and twist it out against the break's grain before it separated. Then, alas, the smell of 'bad' cork lingered in the nose from the bottle, and the cork displays streaks of black.
But, all's well -- apparently no damage (the bottle was stored upright; a lesson -- no contact with the cork by the whiskey) to the drink itself.
Pleasantly fruity (akin to JB Black?) on the nose and palate, brown-sugar richness, medium-full body. A couple of minutes in the glass really bring out the brown sugar/maple. The two years between this one and Knob Creek leave in some of the brashness of youth: fewer smoothie barrel notes and a little more spice here, which makes it more complex than KC, to me. In fact, this one calls for something I almost never add -- a (small) ice cube.
Ah, that's nice -- drinks like a spoonful of caramel topping from the bottom of the ice-cream dish.
Very good drink, even at its price ($40-ish around here).

(I think I'll let this one aerate overnight in the bottle to blow off any remaining corkiness, then cap with a replacement cork.)